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(1) Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a quick disconnect, disposable needle and hub assembly that can be used in apparatuses used to inject vaccines or other beneficial materials into eggs. In particular, the components of the assembly are manufactured from a polymeric material and the connections between the components in the assembly are by luer lock connections.
(2) Description of Related Art
Automatic injection systems comprising egg injection apparatuses for inoculating eggs with vaccines or other beneficial materials are known in the art. Examples of egg injecting apparatuses are illustrated in U.S. Pat. No. 5,056,464 to Lewis, U.S. Pat. Re. No. 35,973 and U.S. Pat. No. 5,136,979, both to Paul et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,438,954 to Phelps et al., and U.S. Pat. No. 6,032,612 to Williams.
Current needle and hub assemblies for use in many egg injecting apparatuses consist of a metal fitting with a cavity that is attached to a second metal fitting with a cavity using standard screw threads. A needle is attached to a hub which has standard screw threads. The hub is screwed to the fitting and the fitting screwed to the second fitting such that the needle cannula extends through the cavities of the fitting and second fitting. The disadvantages of the needle and hub assembly are that they are expensive to manufacture and the screw threads make it difficult to quickly replace damaged needles in the assemblies when mounted in the injecting apparatus. To make tight seals, the hub and both fitting connections must be tightened using tools. Furthermore, the threads can be easily stripped, which renders the fittings unuseable.
Therefore, there is a need for an inexpensive needle and hub assembly that can be used in egg injecting apparatuses. There is a further need for a needle and hub assembly that is easily to assemble in the injection apparatus.
The present invention provides a quick disconnect, disposable needle and hub assembly comprising (a) an elongate needle cannula having a proximal end, a distal end, and a sidewall therebetween, the cannula having a lumen therethrough; (b) a hub securely fixed to the proximal end of the needle cannula, the hub including a distal end with a tip projecting therefrom for fixing the proximal end of the needle cannula so that the needle cannula extends away from the distal end of the hub, a proximal end having an inlet projecting therefrom which is connectable to a supply line and wherein the inlet is continuous with the lumen of the needle cannula, and a collar having an array of internal luer lock threads projecting unitarily from the distal end of the hub in spaced concentric relationship about the tip; and (c) a fitting including an elongate body having a proximal end, a distal end, and a sidewall therebetween, the elongate body having a cavity therethrough wherein the elongate body at its proximal end has external luer lock threads which engage the internal luer lock threads of the collar of the hub to form a seal between the side wall of the fitting and the tip of the hub so that the distal end of the needle cannula extends through the cavity of the elongate body parallel to the sidewall and extends away from the distal end of the fitting, the elongate body having at its distal end a tip projecting therefrom and a collar having an array of internal luer lock threads projecting unitarily from the distal end of the fitting in spaced concentric relationship to the tip, and the elongate body having an inlet traversing the sidewall connectable to a supply line.
In a preferred embodiment, the quick disconnect, disposable needle and hub assembly further includes a second fitting wherein the second fitting has an elongate body having a proximal end, a distal end, and a sidewall therebetween, the elongate body of the second fitting having a cavity therethrough wherein the elongate body of the second fitting at its proximal end has external luer lock threads which engage the internal luer lock threads of the collar of the fitting to form a seal between the side wall of the second fitting and the tip of the fitting, wherein the cavity of the second fitting is continuous with the cavity of the fitting, and wherein the distal end of the needle cannula extends through the cavity of the elongate body of the second fitting parallel to the sidewall and extends away from the distal end of the second fitting.
The present invention further provides a quick disconnect, disposable needle and hub assembly mounted in an injection apparatus for injecting a material into an egg comprising (a) an elongate needle cannula having a proximal end, a distal end, and a sidewall therebetween, the cannula having a lumen therethrough; (b) a hub securely fixed to the proximal end of the needle cannula, the hub including a distal end with a tip projecting therefrom for fixing the proximal end of the needle cannula so that the needle cannula extends away from the distal end of the hub, a proximal end having an inlet projecting therefrom which is connectable to a supply line for the material and wherein the inlet is continuous with the lumen of the needle cannula, and a collar having an array of internal luer lock threads projecting unitarily from the distal end of the hub in spaced concentric relationship about the tip; and (c) a fitting including an elongate body having a proximal end, a distal end, and a sidewall therebetween, the elongate body having a cavity therethrough wherein the elongate body at its proximal end has external luer lock threads which engage the internal luer lock threads of the collar of the hub to form a seal between the side wall of the fitting and the tip of the hub so that the distal end of the needle cannula extends through the cavity of the elongate body parallel to the sidewall and extends away from the distal end of the fitting, the elongate body having at its distal end a tip projecting therefrom and a collar having an array of internal luer lock threads projecting unitarily from the distal end of the fitting in spaced concentric relationship to the tip, and the elongate body having an inlet traversing the sidewall connectable to a supply line for introducing a means for sterilizing the needle cannula; and (d) a second fitting wherein the second fitting has an elongate body having a proximal end, a distal end, and a sidewall therebetween, the elongate body of the second fitting having a cavity therethrough wherein the elongate body of the second fitting at its proximal end has external luer lock threads which engage the internal luer lock threads of the collar of the fitting to form a seal between the side wall of the second fitting and the tip of the fitting, wherein the cavity of the second fitting is continuous with the cavity of the fitting, and wherein the distal end of the needle cannula extends through the cavity of the elongate body of the second fitting parallel to the sidewall and extends away from the distal end of the second fitting, wherein the second fitting is mounted in the apparatus and the needle cannula is moved with the second fitting to inject the material into the egg.
Further still, the present invention provides in an injection apparatus for injecting a material in an egg, wherein the injection apparatus includes an injection needle mounted in the apparatus for injecting the material into the egg, the improvement is that the injection needle mounted in the apparatus is a quick-disconnect disposable needle and hub assembly comprising (a) an elongate needle cannula having a proximal end, a distal end, and a sidewall therebetween, the needle cannula having a lumen therethrough; (b) a hub securely fixed to the proximal end of the needle cannula, the hub including a distal end with a tip projecting therefrom for fixing the proximal end of the needle cannula so that the needle cannula extends away from the distal end of the hub, a proximal end having an inlet projecting therefrom which is connectable to a supply line for the material and wherein the inlet is continuous with the lumen of the needle cannula, and a collar having an array of internal luer lock threads projecting unitarily from the distal end of the hub in spaced concentric relationship about the tip; (c) a fitting including an elongate body having a proximal end, a distal end, and a sidewall therebetween, the elongate body having a cavity therethrough wherein the elongate body at its proximal end has external luer lock threads which engage the internal luer lock threads of the collar of the hub to form a seal between the side wall of the fitting and the tip of the hub so that the distal end of the needle cannula extends through the cavity of the elongate body parallel to the sidewall and extends away from the distal end of the fitting, the elongate body having at its distal end a tip projecting therefrom and a collar having an array of internal luer lock threads projecting unitarily from the distal end of the fitting in spaced concentric relationship to the tip, and the elongate body having an inlet traversing the sidewall connectable to a supply line for introducing a means for sterilizing the needle cannula; and (d) a second fitting wherein the second fitting has an elongate body having a proximal end, a distal end, and a sidewall therebetween, the elongate body of the second fitting having a cavity therethrough wherein the elongate body of the second fitting at its proximal end has external luer lock threads which engage the internal luer lock threads of the collar of the fitting to form a seal between the side wall of the second fitting and the tip of the fitting, wherein the cavity of the second fitting is continuous with the cavity of the fitting, and wherein the distal end of the needle cannula extends through the cavity of the elongate body of the second fitting parallel to the sidewall and extends away from the distal end of the second fitting, wherein the second fitting is mounted in the apparatus and the needle cannula is moved with the second fitting to inject the material into the egg.
Further still, the present invention provides a package containing a quick disconnect, disposable needle and hub assembly comprising (a) an elongate needle cannula having a proximal end, a distal end, and a sidewall therebetween, the needle cannula having a lumen therethrough; (b) a hub securely fixed to the proximal end of the needle cannula, the hub including a distal end with a tip projecting therefrom for fixing the proximal end of the needle cannula so that the needle cannula extends away from the distal end of the hub, a proximal end having an inlet projecting therefrom which is connectable to a supply line and wherein the inlet is continuous with the lumen of the needle cannula, and a collar having an array of internal luer lock threads projecting unitarily from the distal end of the hub in spaced concentric relationship about the tip; and (c) a fitting including an elongate body having a proximal end, a distal end, and a sidewall therebetween, the elongate body having a cavity therethrough wherein the elongate body at its proximal end has external luer lock threads which engage the internal luer lock threads of the collar of the hub to form a seal between the side wall of the fitting and the tip of the hub so that the distal end of the needle cannula extends through the cavity of the elongate body parallel to the sidewall and extends away from the distal end of the fitting, the elongate body having at its distal end a tip projecting therefrom and a collar having an array of internal luer lock threads projecting unitarily from the distal end of the fitting in spaced concentric relationship to the tip, and the elongate body having an inlet traversing the sidewall connectable to a supply line.
In a preferred embodiment, the package includes a second fitting wherein the second fitting has an elongate body having a proximal end, a distal end, and a sidewall therebetween, the elongate body of the second fitting having a cavity therethrough wherein the elongate body of the second fitting at its proximal end has external luer lock threads which engage the internal luer lock threads of the collar of the fitting to form a seal between the side wall of the second fitting and the tip of the fitting, wherein the cavity of the second fitting is continuous with the cavity of the fitting, and wherein the distal end of the needle cannula extends through the cavity of the elongate body of the second fitting parallel to the sidewall and extends away from the distal end of the second fitting.
In the above embodiments of the present invention, it is preferable that the hub and fitting comprise a material that is a polymer, in particular, a material that is transparent. It is further preferable that the needle is cylindrical.
Therefore, it is an object of the present invention to provide a quick disconnect, disposable needle and hub assembly that can be used in the injectors that comprise the apparatuses used for injecting eggs with vaccines or other beneficial materials.